Assistant Director; Executive Level

Position Overview

Job Classification:
Assistant Director (ExE Level)

Division:
Office of the City Engineer

Reporting

Location:

1002 Washington

Workdays &

Hours:

Monday – Friday 8 AM – 5 PM* (Subject to change)

Houston Public Works (HPW) plays a vital role in ensuring a thriving and sustainable future for our city. We oversee the planning, operation, maintenance, construction management, and technical engineering of the City’s public infrastructure, including roadways, bridges, drainage systems, and parks. With a dedicated workforce of approximately 3,900 employees, we are constantly striving for excellence in delivering essential services to our community.

At the direction of the Deputy City Engineer, the Assistant Director will lead and oversee the City’s Floodplain Management Office, which is responsible for permitting all construction activity within the City of Houston’s Special Flood Hazard Area in accordance with the provisions of the City’s floodplain ordinance and FEMA regulations. The Assistant Director represents the City at high levels, issuing floodplain development permits, inspecting projects, reviewing drainage plans for platting, providing floodplain maps, insurance information to the public, implementing the Community Rating System program, maintaining the Floodplain Management Plan, Program for Public Information, and Flood Insurance Assessment, and coordinating assistance during flood disaster recovery.

In addition, the Assistant Director will be responsible for:

• Supervising daily activities and section logistics of the floodplain management engineering, project management, inspection, and administrative support teams.
• Overseeing onboarding of new hires while providing mentorship and training to current staff.
• Managing administrative tasks and setting performance benchmarks, developing and monitoring HEAR plans and assessments.
• Ensuring daily activities are aligned with service line and department priorities while optimizing resource efficiency.
• Responding at a high‑management level to project escalations by providing technical assistance and resolving issues for internal and external stakeholders.
• Utilizing broad knowledge across diverse fields to facilitate project advancement, including floodplain management plans, drainage master studies, drainage/stormwater design, and others as applicable.
• Managing and monitoring the floodplain management budget and performance by conducting regular financial reviews to track expenses, identify variances, and implement corrective actions and adjustments.
• Ensuring the budget is adjusted to reflect any staffing and/or process changes and submitting annual budget forms as required.

The position is physically comfortable; the individual has discretion about walking, standing, etc. There are no major sources of discomfort – essentially a normal office environment with acceptable lighting, temperature, and air conditions.

This is a Department of Houston Public Works Emergency Management position at the Tier I Level.

Education Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, or a closely related field.

Experience Requirements: Seven years of administrative experience, with at least three of those years in a managerial capacity. A Master’s degree may be substituted for two years of experience.

License Requirements: Valid driver’s license and compliance with the City of Houston driving policy (A.P. 2‑2).

Preference will be given to applicants with at least 5 years of experience in floodplain management.

Preference shall be given to eligible veteran applicants provided such persons possess the qualifications necessary for competent discharge of the duties involved in the position applied for, such persons are among the most qualified candidates for the position, and all other factors in accordance with Executive Order 1‑6.

Selection / Skills Tests

Required:

Department may administer a skills assessment test.

Safety Impact Position:
Yes – Position is subject to random drug testing. If a promotional…